Advice offered by practitioners of complementary/ alternative medicine: an important ethical issue

Evaluation & the Health Professions
E Ernst

Abstract

The current popularity of complementary/alternative medicine (CAM) generates many challenges to medical ethics. The one discussed here is the advice offered by CAM practitioners. Using selected examples, the author tries to demonstrate that some of the advice issued through the popular media or provided by acupuncturists, chiropractors, herbalists, homeopaths, pharmacists, and doctors is misleading or dangerous. This, the author argues, can impinge on the main principle of medical ethics: beneficence, nonmaleficence, and autonomy. We should work toward correcting this deplorable situation.

References

Feb 24, 2001·BMJ : British Medical Journal·A R Crawfurd
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Aug 22, 2002·British Journal of Cancer·E Ernst, K Schmidt
Feb 1, 2003·Vaccine·Katja Schmidt, Edzard Ernst
Apr 5, 2003·Diabetic Medicine : a Journal of the British Diabetic Association·K Schmidt, E Ernst
May 15, 2003·JAMA : the Journal of the American Medical Association·Laurence BakerM Kate Bundorf
Feb 6, 2004·JAMA : the Journal of the American Medical Association·Franklin G MillerStephen E Straus
Aug 26, 2004·The Breast Journal·John C Hall, Jane L Hall
Jan 22, 2005·Psychiatry Research·Edzard Ernst, Katja Schmidt
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Feb 6, 2008·Early Human Development·Daniel Rubens
Feb 19, 2008·Journal of Pain and Symptom Management·Edzard Ernst
Jun 12, 2008·PloS One·Billie BonevskiDavid A Henry
Jul 22, 2008·Hematology/oncology Clinics of North America·Eran Ben-AryeOfra Golan
Nov 4, 2008·Pediatrics·Edzard Ernst
Jan 2, 2009·The New England Journal of Medicine·Susan Dentzer
Jan 1, 2009·Breast Care·Edzard Ernst

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Citations

Sep 21, 2010·The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine : Research on Paradigm, Practice, and Policy·Viroj Wiwanitkit
Aug 6, 2013·Asia-Pacific Journal of Clinical Oncology·Peter J SmithKathryn J Steadman
Jan 6, 2018·Npj Regenerative Medicine·Douglas Sipp
Oct 18, 2018·Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine : ECAM·Kate ChatfieldLeila Afshar

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